Community groups and charities preparing Christmas hampers for the needy are being urged to work with the Salvation Army to ensure the donations go as far as possible,

Speaking in the House of Assembly, One Bermuda Alliance MP Suzann Holshouser said that because groups maintained separate lists of needy people, there had been instances of duplication, with some individuals going to multiple groups for hampers.

“While I am not undermining their need, I am imploring these individuals to understand that there is the possibility that they are depriving another group of people who don’t know to come forward, or are slower at coming forward,” she said.

While she said that some might be collecting hampers for other needy people, there was also a tendency for people to stock up because they were not sure when another opportunity would come.

Mrs Holshouser said she had spoken to the Salvation Army in connection to a drive she was working with, and within five minutes they spotted 11 names that were on both lists.

“That’s 11 individuals getting two hampers, maybe three, maybe even four,” she said. “That also means 11 individuals, maybe 22, maybe 33, are being deprived of having some help. It’s not about depriving people, it’s about enabling more people to have access.”

She said the Salvation Army had been able to coordinate with eight different groups, but others had refused to share their lists with the charity.

Mrs Holshouser urged groups collecting hampers to make contact with the Salvation Army so a master list could be developed to ensure that as many people benefited as possible.